hooper



(No Model.)

L. M. HOOPER. BAND CLAMP FOR BATH TUBS.

N0. 538,490. Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

"m: Nomus Pains co.,r=uo"rm.rruo., WASHINGYCIN. n. c.

Unwrap "in'rins LOUIS M. HOOPER, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. L. MOTT IRON l/VORKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BAND-CLAMP FOR BATH-TUBS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters'Patent NO. 538,490, dated April 30, 1895.

Application filed November 15, 1894. Serial No 528,860- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIs M. HOOPER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Band-Clamps for Bath-Tubs, of which the following is a specification.

In bath tubs, especially those made of cast iron and enameled, difficulty has arisen in using the bath tub for washing the feet because a stool or similar article placed in the tub is liable to injure the enamel, and usually the tub is too deep to be convenient when a person is seated upon the edge.

Straps have heretofore been made use of in bath tubs and under similar circumstances as a support upon which a person can be seated, and in some instances a bent metal plate has been employed having mortises or longitudinal slots through which has been inserted a strap, and the same can be lengthened or shortened by drawing the strap through the slots; but in this instance the strain upon the strap is taken entirely by the' metallic plate, and portions of such metallic plate are liable to come into contact with the enamel ot' the bath tub and injure the same.

The object of the present invention is to direct the strain of the strap upon the bath tub itself and to cause the strap to intervene between the tub and the metallic clamp, so that such metallic clamp cannot injure the enamel by contact with the same, and the length of the strap is more easily adjusted than in the attachments heretofore made use of.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section of the edges of a bath-tub, representing the ends of the band and the metallic clamps by which the same are held in position; and Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of one of the clamps.

The edges of the bath tub are represented at A. These are usually rolled over so as to form a hollow molded edge and the strap or band B is of suitable flexible material and of the desired width and strength and of a length sufficient to extend across the bath tub and to hang down within such tub to the desired point for forming a seat or support for the person within the tub while washing the 'feet or otherwise.

I make use of two clamps 0 preferably of cast metal and of a shape to set loosely over the edge of the bath tub, the band B intervening and the portion 2 of the clamp hooks beneath the outer edge of the tub and com presses the band firmly against the under side of the rolled over edge, thus holding the clamp by contact with the bath tub itself, and in order to effect a drawing action of the band upon the clamp to draw the clamp also against the band as it passes around the convex outer surface of the rolled over edge, I pass the band over the bar 3 which is either integral with the clamp or made as a separate wire passing through lugs,'aud this bar 3 causes the band to assume the form of a double bond so as to lessen the risk of the band slipping.

The outer end of the band will usually remain in its proper position in relation to the clamp, but to prevent the clamp being moved along upon the edge of the bathtub without the band being simultaneously moved, I provide the projecting hooks 4 at the outer end ofthe clamp between which hooks the band B passes and is thereby kept in the proper relation to the clamp while being applied to j or moved along upon the edge of the bath tub.

The two clamps one at each edge of the band are similarly made and the band can be readily tightened or slaokened so as to support the person in the desired position in relation to the bath tub.

If desired, the bar may be made with teeth 5 upon one edge to engage the hand, there being an angular projection 6 over which the strap passes so that the tension on the strap may swing the teeth 5 toward the surface of the clamp, as seen in Fig. 1, at K.

This improvement is available with any kind of bath tub, such for instance as a copper bath tub with a surrounding frame, and the band may be employed as a head rest for a person while in the bath tub.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a band adapted to extend across from one side of the bath tub to the other, of metallic clamps each having a lip 2, at its outer end to clamp the band againstthe outer rolled over edge of the bath tub, and a bar over and around which the band passes and descends beneath the inner end of the clamp with a double bond and lies between the clamp and tub, the tension of the band applying pressure by the clamp to such band against the edge of the bath tub, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a band adapted to extend across from one side of the bath tub to the other, of metallic clamps each having a lip 2, to clamp the band against the outer rolled-over edge of the bath-t ub, and-a swinging toothed bar over and around which the band passes and is confined by the teeth, the band lying between the clamp and the bath tub, and hooks for guiding the band and holding the same in position laterally substantially as set forth.

L. M. HOOPER. Witnesses:

PERLEY MORSE, EDWARD HAMMANN. 

